Steward Zhang pushed Zhu Zhongshi, and then took Meng Zitao to the basement and looked at the bronze ban.

This is a bronze ban in the early Western Zhou Dynasty, with a rectangular countertop, which is not large as a whole, about 13 cm long, about 7 cm wide, and about 24 cm high. In addition to the rectangular holes and the round feet of the large sake vessels, the whole is also engraved with dragon patterns, which is quite exquisitely made.

Seeing Meng Zitao's obsessive look, Zhu Zhongshi smiled slightly, and then asked, "I wonder what Dr. Shi thinks of this bronze ban?"

Meng Zitao pretended to observe the bronze ban, and exclaimed: "Okay, very good, I have never seen a few such exquisite bronze bans before." ”

Zhu Zhongshi looked at it with a smile, and when Meng Zitao was happy to see it, he brought up the question of the painting.

Meng Zitao said: "If you want me to say it, it's okay, let's sign an agreement first, and I will tell you everything I know." Don't think I'm taking advantage of you, what we signed before was only to verify the authenticity, and what I'm about to say, if it can be confirmed, then the wealth represented later will be incalculable. ”

Zhu Zhongshi smiled and said, "Doctor, you don't have to explain so much, what kind of money to buy what kind of news, I know." ”

Speaking of which, Zhu Zhongshi motioned to Steward Zhang to prepare the documents.

After signing the paperwork, they went back to the secret room where the painting was kept.

Meng Zitao looked at the painting, and then asked, "Do you know what tools tomb robbers used to visit tombs before the invention of the Yang Shovel?"

The invention of the shovel was at the beginning of the 20th century, but the history of tomb robbery can be thousands of years, so how did people detect tombs in the past, and what tools did they use?

Zhu Zhongshi and Steward Zhang both said they were not clear.

Meng Zitao replied: "In fact, in ancient times, the tool used by tomb robbers to detect tombs was an iron cone. The iron cone is more effective than the Luoyang shovel, but it requires the tomb robbers to have rich experience in robbing and excavating in order to play a role. ”

Wang Shixing of the Ming Dynasty said in "Guangzhi Interpretation of the Four Provinces of Jiangbei", "Luoyang has deep water and soil, and the burial is four or five zhang but not the spring, and the wheel is ten zhang long." However, although the burial is as promised, the thief can still enter and smell it with an iron cone, and the gas of gold, silver, copper, and iron will be released. Wang Shixing made it very clear in the article, "The iron cone enters and sniffs it".

The tombs of ancient people were dug very deep, generally not less than 10 meters, and even dug into the aquifer. Everyone knows that the Qin Mausoleum where Qin Shi Huang won the government is buried very deeply. "Historical Records: The First Emperor Benji" records that its cave "wears three springs, and the copper is under the coffin", and some scholars speculate that the depth is more than 500 meters, and the most conservative also believes that it is as deep as 50 meters.

The color and smell of the dirt soil brought out by the cone can be used to immediately determine whether there are tombs underground, what dynasty tombs are buried and how deep they are. After determining the existence of the ancient tomb, you can determine the size, orientation, depth and other information of the tomb by making a few more dots around it.

Speaking of this, Meng Zitao took out his mobile phone and found a picture of an iron cone from the Internet, and then pointed to the waist of one of the two people in the picture scroll and said: "I don't know if the two of you have noticed this place, does it look like an iron cone on the picture?"

Zhu Zhongshi carefully identified it for a while: "It seems to be a little similar, but what if it's not?"

Meng Zitao spread his hands, saying that it had nothing to do with him, he just took out his own ideas and judged right and wrong, which was Zhu Zhongshi's own business.

This point, although Zhu Zhongshi is uncomfortable in his heart, but this is also a very normal thing, if Meng Zitao can confirm it, why share it with him?

"Other than that, if that's all there is, I don't think it's worth the price I'm paying. "Zhu Zhongshi.

"If I can analyze it, who might be painting a treasure on it?" Mr. Mencius said.

"As long as you can get me to agree with it, you're done. Zhu Zhongshi said.

Meng Zitao nodded: "I think this may be a treasure left by Wen Tao." ”

"Wen Tao?" After Zhu Zhongshi heard the answer, he felt that it was both unexpected and reasonable.

When it comes to the most powerful tomb robber in ancient times, many people may think of Cao Cao, who also set up a position such as "Captain Touching Gold" in order to rob tombs.

But in fact, the most powerful commander should be the warlord Wen Tao during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. When Wen Tao was in Guanzhong, he actually robbed almost all the tombs of the emperors of the Tang Dynasty.

This big guy is not like an ordinary tomb robber, who secretly goes to "rob tombs" on dark and windy nights, but personally leads the army to "open tombs" in broad daylight.

According to the record of the "History of the New Five Dynasties": (Wen) Tao was in the town for seven years, and the tombs of the Tang Dynasty were excavated in their territory, and the gold treasures they possessed were taken. And Zhaoling is the most solid, (Wen) Tao from the road: see the palace system is beautiful, not different from the world. The middle is the main bed, the east and west compartments are lined with stone beds, and the stone letter on the bed is an iron box; Zhong, Wang's paper and ink, and handwriting are as good as new. Tao learned to take it, and then passed it on to the people. However, Qianling, wind and rain can not occur.

That is to say, in addition to the tombs of Tang Gaozong and Wu Zetian, the tombs of the seventeen emperors of the Tang Dynasty in Guanzhong were all swept by Wen Tao.

Such a tomb robber is estimated to be unprecedented. Although Wen Tao excavated the tomb of the emperor of the Tang Dynasty, the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty was fortunate to be witnessed by future generations, but more of the catastrophic and irreversible damage to the imperial tombs of our country, many precious cultural relics were privately stored, scattered in other cities, and even destroyed.

However, Wen Tao did not end well in the end, he was killed by Li Siyuan of the Later Tang Mingzong, but the wealth he obtained from robbing tombs in his life, except for the records in the history books that he used to bribe, the rest did not say it explicitly, but it must be a lot.

Zhu Zhongshi straightened his face and asked, "Doctor, I don't know why you think so?"

Meng Zitao said: "I judge from several aspects, first of all, the creation time of this painting, the more mature 'axe splitting' was first released by Jing Hao, as for some other arguments, let's not talk about it, with the characteristics of this painting, it is more in line with the maturity of Jing Hao's artworks to the stage of calligraphy and painting art before the Northern Song Dynasty, and this period is exactly in line with the era in which Wen Tao lived......"

Zhu Zhongshi listened to Meng Zitao's eloquent remarks and felt that it was very reasonable: "Dr. Shi, what you said is very reasonable, but all this is just the judgment of your experience, can you point out another piece of evidence that is a little more affirmative?"

"This is it. ”

Meng Zitao took a magnifying glass and placed it on top of a place on the scroll, but saw a strange pattern appear inside.

"This is ......" Zhu Zhongshi was a little confused.

"Come and see from my position. ”

Meng Zitao asked Zhu Zhongshi to his place, and Zhu Zhongshi was surprised: "This seems to be a word?"

Meng Zitao nodded and said: "Yes, it is indeed the word 'Wen' in Jin Wen, to say that these clues on this painting are all blurred, if one is vague, it may be an accident, but two or three together, then it is not an accident that can be said to be in the past." ”

Zhu Zhongshi nodded again and again, and said to Meng Zitao with a smile: "Dr. Shi, you are so powerful, so many subtle differences, you have actually seen them, and you are very impressed!"

"It's nothing, it's a habit I've developed over the years. Meng Zitao turned into a poker face again.

Zhu Zhongshi smiled, and then said: "Dr. Shi, I will pay you another million, only asking you not to tell this information within a month, what do you think?"

Meng Zitao was silent for a while, and said, "Zhu Lao, do you think you have the ability to find the place where this painting is painted within a month?"

Zhu Zhongshi smiled: "Whether I can find it or not is my problem." ”

"What if I find it?"

"That's your job. Of course, if you do find it, I wonder if there is a chance for us to work together?"

Meng Zitao smiled: "Let's talk about it then, if you don't mention other conditions, just ask me not to tell others, I agree to this matter." ”

"Good!"

Zhu Zhongshi asked someone to put the money on Meng Zitao's card, and asked people to put the bronze in the car, and then Meng Zitao took his leave.

Steward Zhang sent Meng Zitao away, and after returning to the villa, he expressed the question in his heart: "Master, why do you talk to him so well? Besides, if he tells others about it, we won't know." ”

"Because he was introduced by Lewe, if something goes wrong, Lewe will definitely not give up. Moreover, he is a proud person, and with his character, he will definitely not take the initiative to tell secrets, which I can still affirm. ”

When he said this, Zhu Zhongshi looked at Steward Zhang: "Don't do anything to him, I don't want to have any branches, do you know?"

Steward Zhang lowered his head and said, "I know." ”

The words were divided into two ends, Meng Zitao sat in the car and pondered, in fact, about the so-called treasure, he said it according to the master's request, but now even he feels that it is a matter of fact, is there really a so-called treasure?

You may think that it is difficult to find the location of the treasure with just a landscape painting, but the fact is that as long as it is determined that the treasure pointed to by the clue in the painting is indeed left by Wen Tao, then it can be demarcated from the place where his life is located, and the treasure is most likely hidden in Guanzhong, where he robbed the tomb.

As long as the treasure is indeed in this area, with that painting, as long as Zhu Zhongshi's strength is strong enough, it should not be difficult to find.

Meng Zitao thought about it for a while, he had to intervene in this matter no matter what, as for the agreement, he was not Shi Baixing, and he had the ability to Zhu Zhongshi to go underground to find Shi Baixing to settle accounts!

The car drove smoothly all the way to the capital, and because of the long distance, Mencius closed his eyes and recuperated, in fact, he had been recalling the painting and analyzing its contents, hoping to find more clues.

It's just that as the car approached the main city of the capital, Meng Zitao vaguely had a feeling of being monitored, could it be that someone was following him?

Meng Zitao secretly raised his vigilance, and did not say much, in the eyes of the driver, he has been in a state of closing his eyes and recuperating.

The driver asked Meng Zitao before if he wanted to send it to his residence, because there was still that bronze ban, and it was a bit silly to get off the car in the original place, so Meng Zitao agreed.

The driver sent Meng Zitao to Shi Baixing's residence in the capital, fortunately, Meng Zitao was prepared first, got the key, and pretended to be fine, not to mention, he also felt that someone was following him. He can't give up this identity for the time being, and disguise is necessary.

Upstairs, Meng Zitao was about to use the key to open the door of Shi Baixing's house, when his intuition suddenly reminded him that there were people in the house, but there was no danger.

Meng Zitao's heart moved, but he still resisted the idea of doing it, and first figured out who it was.

Pretending to open the door casually, Meng Zitao put his things in the house, closed the door, and just turned around, suddenly someone sprayed a mist into his face.

Meng Zitao staggered, took a few steps back and leaned against the door, and he fainted halfway. Of course, he pretended all this.

Next, Meng Zitao felt someone carry him downstairs, get into a car and let him sleep in his seat, and then the car began to depart.

The car was silent all the way, and when he stopped and lifted him out of the car, it was already night, and the road had been driving for several hours, and it was probably already in Yan Province.

Meng Zitao only felt that he had been carried into a room and put on the bed, and that someone had put away his wallet and communication equipment in his pocket. Fortunately, he didn't have anything else with him, and the wallet and phone were not his, they were used for disguise.

After about half an hour, Mencius Tao pretended to wake up quietly, he was startled at first, and looked around, it was a very small room, only a single bed, a desk, a chair, and a lamp, and nothing else, very simple.

Meng Zitao immediately jumped up from the bed and ran to knock on the door.

After knocking for a while, the door was opened, and a black-clothed masked man walked in from the door, and behind him were two men who were also black-clad and masked, but five big and three thick.

Seeing this, Meng Zitao hurriedly took a few steps back and asked vigilantly, "Who are you? Why do you arrest me?"

In fact, seeing these black-clothed masked people, Meng Zitao thought of the Dongying people he met yesterday, could they be the same group?

The black-clothed masked man waved his hand at the two people behind him, making them stand outside the door, and then smiled and said, "Dr. Shi, long time no see,"

"Have we seen each other before?" Meng Zitao looked suspicious, and he was also a little suspicious in his heart, how could this person's voice be familiar?

The black-clothed masked man smiled: "I used to know you, you didn't know me, but now don't we know each other?" To be honest, a long time ago, I wanted to invite Dr. Shi to come to me, but I never had the opportunity, and now I finally got my wish. ”

Meng Zitao said with a gloomy face: "What are you going to do!"

"I know that Dr. Shi is very interested in calligraphy and painting, please help us identify a painting!"

"What painting?"

Wu Zhen made "Listening to the Rain in the Mountains" in his later years. ”

"Wu Zhen's works in his later years?" Meng Zitao pretended to be surprised.

Wu Zhen is a famous painter of the Yuan Dynasty, his ink landscapes come from Dong Yuan, Juran is one, and absorb the painting methods of Li Cheng and Guo Xi, fuse and create, and form his own unique style. It is the landscape he made in his later years, which is gloomy and extremely moist with water, vigorous brushwork, heavy ink, and has unique achievements in the method of using ink.

"It's true!"

The black-clothed masked man asked people to take out a painting and unfold it in front of Meng Zitao, only to see the smoke and rain of the streams and mountains above the picture scroll, a person in the stream house looking idly, the clouds moving in the distance, a thousand peaks like driving, continuous and endless, it is a wonder.

Meng Zitao glanced at it and said, "This painting is fake. ”

The black-clothed masked man was slightly stunned, and couldn't help but have some doubts about Meng Zitao: "Dr. Shi's level is really high, just by looking at it, I know that there is something wrong with this painting, this ability is really unprecedented and unprecedented!" But I want to remind you that my temper is generally very good at talking, if I am really angry, then I will have to peel off the skin if I don't die." ”

"First of all, I also want to tell you that the last thing I am afraid of is threats, and it is a big deal to die early and be born sooner. ”

Meng Zitao said with a disdainful face: "In addition, I will not cheat on my own profession, I say that this painting is fake, it is fake!"

"Reason!"

"I've seen the real thing before, and I'm sure it's not going to get into your hands!"

Faced with Meng Zitao's categorical attitude, the black-clothed masked man also began to hesitate in his heart, and he said: "Then please point out the problem, if you say it is right, then I apologize to you!"

As a result, Mencius pointed out the problems in the paintings.

The black-clothed masked man was still a little unrelenting: "In addition to these, is there any key place?" ”

Meng Zitao sneered: "You really don't die in the heart of the Yellow River, this painting uses leather paper, white, the curtain is very fine, the fiber is shiny, the paper is treated with starch pulp, this kind of paper should be produced in the Ming Dynasty, do you think a painter of the Yuan Dynasty may use the paper of the Ming Dynasty?"

The black-clothed masked man looked at the painting, his chest obviously began to rise and fall, he should be extremely angry, he gritted his teeth and asked people to take the painting away.

Meng Zitao said: "Okay, I have finished appraising the painting, can you let me go back now." ”

The black-clothed masked man bent the corner of his eyes and said with a smile: "Dr. Shi, I'm really sorry, you can't leave now, or you can say that from now on, you can live here!"

"You want to kidnap me and let me die for you!" Meng Zitao angrily pointed at the man in black: "I tell you, you will not succeed, and you don't want me to do things for you!"

The voice of the man in black suddenly became gloomy: "Do you think that if we are not completely sure, we will tie you up here? You want to leave here and die of this heart! As for if you dare not cooperate, then try the taste of having no water to drink, no food to eat, and no personal hygiene to deal with!"

Speaking of this, the man in black pushed open the iron door again, and let Meng Zitao look at the situation outside, only to see that outside the house was a small stone room, which was heavily guarded, and everyone was still holding a gun in their hands, exuding a murderous aura, which made people feel frightened.

The man in black smiled and said, "Dr. Shi, do you think we can work together?"